China welcomes the new Iraqi government and hopes it restore normal order to Iraq, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan in Beijing Thursday.

At a regular press conference, Kong said China hopes the new government promote the process of allowing the Iraqi people to exert their sovereignty.

He said China's goal in the Iraq issue is to resume normal order in that country and enable the Iraqi people to exercise sovereignty, and China hopes that in this process Iraq's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity should be safeguarded.

The United Nations is preparing to discuss a new proposal on the reconstruction of Iraq and that China has taken part in this work, he said, adding that the role of the United Nations should be strengthened.

On Monday, the Iraqi Governing Council named a 25-member cabinet, the first following the overthrowal of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on April 9.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2003)